The Horizons Dialogue with Marc P. Bernegger

Exploring Longevity Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Executive Vitality

Marc P. Bernegger is a veteran technology entrepreneur and a dedicated proponent of the longevity sector, with over a decade of experience navigating the frontiers of human health and digital innovation. A serial founder with a track record of scaling disruptive ventures—including exits to Axel Springer Media, Xing, and Deutsche Börse—Marc now applies institutional-grade rigor to the emerging longevity asset class.

Marc is the co-founder of Maximon, a Swiss-based company builder that bridges the gap between frontier science and scalable business architecture. By systematically incubating evidence-backed ventures, Maximon is operationalizing the longevity economy, moving the field beyond speculative theory into tangible healthspan solutions.

Complementing this venture-building expertise, Marc is the architect behind the Longevity Investors Conference, the world’s premier private gathering at the intersection of longevity science and capital. While he hosts the exclusive "Longevity Investors Lunch" annually during the World Economic Forum in Davos—a critical platform for high-level dialogue—the flagship Longevity Investors Conference in Gstaad serves as the industry’s definitive forum for institutional allocators, family offices, and biotech pioneers.

Today, Marc remains deeply committed to advancing evidence-based longevity through his board mandates and a mission to scale ventures that transform healthspan into a predictable, scalable reality.

Why Longevity? 

Q:“Your work spans multiple longevity ventures, including Maximon and Longevity Investors. What sparked your interest in the longevity sector, and when did you first decide to focus on this field?”

Marc: I first heard about longevity back in 2009 at a conference in Geneva where Aubrey de Grey was speaking about the topic. I was fascinated by his talk and started to dig deeper into the topic. In 2020 I then started Longevity Investors together with Tobias Reichmuth, a network and events for investors in the field. And a year later we launched Maximon, our venture studio focusing on longevity companies after our last company Crypto Finance Group was acquired by Deutsche Boerse. The move from crypto to longevity back then was definitely a good decision as we can now fully focus on helping humans to have a better life.

THE HORIZONS Perspective: The trajectory of a visionary career often mirrors the evolution of the market itself. We are witnessing a macro-shift where elite capital moves from speculative digital assets toward the foundational science of human existence. This transition from "interest" to "integration" marks a pivotal realization: the most significant arbitrage for a modern leader is not found in high-frequency trading, but in the systematic optimization of the human lifespan.

For the discerning investor, success lies in building the infrastructure that makes luxury longevity sustainable. By moving away from short-term volatility toward evidence-based venture creation, leaders like Marc P. Bernegger are not just speculating—they are architecting the future economy

Longevity Investors Conference Gstaad is the industry’s definitive forum for institutional allocators, family offices, and biotech pioneers

The Longevity Entrepreneurial Mindset

Q:  “Longevity is a rapidly growing sector with unique opportunities and challenges. From your perspective, what defines a successful entrepreneur in this space, and what mindset or skills are most critical for navigating it?”

Marc: I think the mindset and skills are not different to any other successful startup entrepreneur: You need passion, conviction and stamina as it normally takes longer and is far more difficult as most people think when launching a company to become successful.

THE HORIZONS Perspective: The current longevity market is undergoing a "proof-of-work" phase. While enthusiasm is abundant, the bottleneck is execution. The founders who will define this decade are not the ones dominating headlines with speculative promises, but those building the quiet, essential operational rails—clinical, regulatory, and supply-chain—that turn complex biological science into predictable, repeatable outcomes. In a sector prone to trend-chasing, the competitive advantage lies in structural stamina: the grit to endure long-term development cycles that institutional capital demands.

Building Ventures and Shaping the Future

Q:  “You’ve founded and invested in several longevity-focused ventures. What lessons or insights from these experiences can guide executives and founders looking to build sustainable and impactful longevity businesses, and how do you see the next frontier of longevity innovation?”

Marc: At Maximon, we launched several quite different companies but we always target science and evidence-backed products or services that have a measurable impact on humans. Among others, we are behind Avea, a longevity supplement company which produces its products in Switzerland and is active globally. Another venture of ours is Ayun, a longevity walk-in clinic in the city center of Zurich. Naturally, the founders are the most important part to run a successful business as there are always exciting ideas but only execution makes a company successful. We see our roles as co-founders and are very actively supporting our ventures not only with funding but also with our network and experience as serial entrepreneurs.

THE HORIZONS Perspective: The distance between a groundbreaking concept and a viable venture is bridged entirely by operational rigor. Modern venture studios have evolved beyond the "funding-only" model; the true alpha today lies in the active support, clinical network, and manufacturing precision provided to ventures in the trenches. For the executive, this signals a transition from passive investment to a hands-on, co-founding philosophy, where the focus remains on measurable impact rather than theoretical potential.

Global Trends and Market Opportunities

Q: “Longevity is attracting significant innovation, investment, and consumer interest worldwide. From your perspective, how do you see longevity-integrated capital evolving across mature markets (e.g., Europe and North America) versus emerging markets (e.g., Asia)? How should executives and high-net-worth individuals navigate these differences when considering business strategy, investment, or personal adoption of longevity innovations?”

Marc: I think the longevity investment industry is still in its early days especially when you compare it with other exciting fields like AI, space or robotics. I am personally convinced that we will soon see a tipping point similar to the ones in the mentioned industries. Most investors still by far underestimate the value of an additional healthy and happy year in a life and I think this is ultimately the value when you talk about a potential market size of the longevity market. With our events at Longevity Investors (our yearly conference in Gstaad and our lunch in Davos during the World Economic Forum) we also want to bring more capital from wealthy individuals and other investors into longevity research and boost the funding of longevity companies.

THE HORIZONS Perspective: The longevity investment landscape currently occupies a space where innovation meets untapped potential, comparable to the early trajectories of AI and robotics. While global longevity market valuations are projected to reach approximately $31.63 billion in 2026, this figure represents only the initial phase of a profound structural shift: the migration of capital from reactive, consumer-driven wellness toward institutionally funded, evidence-based healthcare.

The geographical divergence in this evolution is stark. In mature markets like North America, which accounts for roughly 40% to 41% of the global revenue share, capital is primarily anchored in deep-tech infrastructure, including cellular reprogramming and gene-editing pipelines. Conversely, while Asia-Pacific is currently at a different stage of the funding cycle, it is positioned as the fastest-growing region, with a projected 10.35% CAGR. This momentum is fueled by the region's urgent demographic pressures and a rapid acceleration in localized, preventive health ecosystems.

This geographical divide requires a sophisticated approach: aligning investment mandates with the specific biological, technological, and cultural infrastructure of each region. Capturing the compounding value of global biological optimization will not be a passive endeavor; it demands strategic precision in navigating these distinct market architectures to unlock the true potential of the longevity asset class.

From Business to Personal Application

Q: “Much of your work connects professional entrepreneurship with high-level vitality. How do you personally integrate principles of longevity into your own routine, decision-making, and lifestyle as a high-performing leader?” Marc: I am not following all the rules and protocols of many so-called longevity celebrities and influencers so that’s why I’m not the best role model ;-) But with all the knowledge and insights I get working in the field for many years I naturally also try to optimise my health and lifespan by implementing proven principles. My main focus lies on sleep (which is the most difficult one), diet (less sugar and alcohol, adding several supplements), exercise (I often do more than 20'000 steps a day) plus focusing on my stress level (which is also a challenge as an entrepreneur). Living in a health-savvy city like Zurich also helps here as I spend a lot of time in nature (mountains, forest, …). THE HORIZONS Perspective: It is interesting to learn that high-performance executives and longevity investors like Marc—who have access to the most credible longevity protocols—rarely rely on the extreme, headline-grabbing biohacking trends seen elsewhere. Where speculative noise promises rapid results, sophisticated investors instead prioritize systemic resilience. True integration is defined by the consistent, disciplined application of foundational biological pillars—sleep hygiene, metabolic discipline, movement, and stress regulation—which serve as the essential infrastructure for sustained cognitive output.

In an environment where professional decision-making is taxed by relentless demands, the leader’s role is to act as an architect of their own lifestyle. Success is not measured by the rigid adherence to volatile trends, but by the intentional curation of habits and surroundings that support long-term vitality. Whether leveraging the rhythm of a health-conscious geography or systematically reducing systemic stressors, the objective remains the same: to engineer a life of purpose where performance and longevity exist in a seamless, compounding equilibrium.

Vision in One Sentence

Q: “If you could summarize your vision for the future of longevity entrepreneurship in one sentence for our audience of leaders and high-net-worth enthusiasts, what would it be?” 

Marc: I think we still need more science-backed longevity companies which are accessible to the broader public so entrepreneurs and founders in the field should not get distracted by short-term opportunities which are focusing on “profitable snake oil products". I am convinced that you can only build a sustainable and long-term business in longevity if you always focus on the underlying science and a scalable business model.

THE HORIZONS Perspective: The longevity sector is currently at a defining crossroads, transitioning from a frontier of speculative experimentation toward the rigorous, institutional-grade infrastructure that will underpin the next century of human performance. While the market remains saturated with "quick-fix" solutions and unsubstantiated therapeutic claims—often masquerading as breakthrough innovation—the true industry pioneers have shifted their focus toward systemic resilience. They recognize that real healthspan is not found in a pill or a trend, but in the disciplined, evidence-based optimization of the biological fundamentals.

True industry leaders are moving away from the volatility of short-term, high-margin commercial gimmicks. Instead, they are prioritizing the structural integrity of their ventures, anchoring their models in clinical transparency and scalable science. In an era where professional and cognitive demands are at an all-time high, the mandate for the entrepreneur is clear: reject the pursuit of performative shortcuts and invest in the foundational infrastructure that enables enduring vitality. Whether leveraging the natural rhythm of a health-conscious geography or systematically reducing systemic stressors, the objective remains constant: to architect a life—and a business—where performance and longevity exist in a seamless, compounding equilibrium.

The future of longevity entrepreneurship will not be defined by the peddling of unverified miracles, but by the rigorous, scalable engineering of fundamental biological integrity.

__________________________________________________________________________________

THE HORIZONS life × Longevity Investors Conference

At THE HORIZONS life, we view longevity not merely as a scientific discipline, but as a sovereign asset class and an emerging economic sector reshaping healthcare, hospitality, real estate, human performance, and global capital strategy.

We are proud to announce that THE HORIZONS life has been selected as the only media partner from Asia for the Longevity Investors Conference 2026.

As part of this partnership, members of THE HORIZONS life community receive priority consideration for participation at the Longevity Investors Conference 2026, with applications reviewed ahead of the general queue.

If you are interested in joining the 120 globally selected participants gathering in Gstaad this September, ✉️ Direct Liaison: horizons@thehorizons.life

🔗 Explore Network Excuslive Benefits: EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS FOR THE HORIZONS LIFE NETWORK

Extending Horizons. Elevating Life.